Talbert “Elton” Gannaway, Jr. died on September 10, 2020. He was born on July 18, 1940, he’d just celebrated his 80th birthday.
Elton (as he always went by) was preceded in death by his mother; Furmon Owens Gannaway, and his father; Tolbert Elton Gannaway, Sr. (No, it’s not a misspelling, they spelled Eltons first name incorrectly with an “a” instead of an “o,” on his birth certificate, and so he stuck with the “a,” just to be different).
He is survived by his brothers Wayne and Brian Gannaway and his son and only child, Jeffrey (Jeff) Gannaway, his daughter-in-law, Mary Gannaway, three grandchildren, Lindsey Tillman, Aaron Gannaway, and Elizabeth Gannaway. Lindsey and her husband, Joe Tillman also blessed Elton with one great grandchild, Judah Gage Tillman.
Elton served 6 years in the Navy from 1958 to 1964. Most of that time he was Sonar on the Destroyer ship U.S.S. Hyman, DD 732. He was among the first people to be in a new field of occupation called “computer programmers” with the then small company named NCR in the 60’s and 70’s. He met his first wife, Patricia Brown during that time, and they had their only child, Jeffrey, in 1965.
Elton will also be missed in the Sports Car Racing world as a long standing member and worker with the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America).
Elton had one of the kindest hearts anyone could ever know.
He will be cremated at Lusain Funeral Home in Birmingham, AL, and will be given a full military funeral at The Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, AL on September 18, at 10:15am. A total of 60 guests are allowed with face covering and social distancing.
